Air directing means in underwater swimming mask



Nov. 8, 1955 R. VESIGNA 2,722,930

AIR DIRECTING MEANS IN UNDERWATER SWIMMING MASK Filed Oct. 8, 1954 IN VENTOR W d w, flg v V'M ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent AIR DIRECTING IVIEANS IN UNDERWATER SWIMlVllNG MASK Roscild Vesigna, Milan, Italy, :assignor to Pirelli Societa per Azioni, Milan, Italy Application October 8, 1954, Serial No. 461,243

. 4 Claims. (Cl. 128-142) Thisinvention relates to breathing devices, and, more particularly, to underwater swimming masks.

In the usual type of underwater swimming mask having a face piece of elastic moldable material and an air inlet tube fastened to the top thereof, some type of device to pass the air from the air inlet tube around the eyes of the wearer to his nose and mouth must be provided, because passage of air directly from the tube to the nose or mouth over the eyes would cause irritation of the eyes. One device proposed in the past for such use provides a duct extending along the inner side of the upper portion of the face piece in communication with an air inlet nipple connected to the air tube and having end openings at the nose or mouth level of the mask.

In the past, in molding face pieces with the duct mentioned above, it has been necessary to insert in the mold a removable metallic core to form the duct. A rubberenclosed duct is thereby provided in the molded mask, but the use of the removable metallic core makes the molding operation complex and relatively expensive.

This invention is intended to reduce the complexity of the molding operation by providing an air-carrying duct which can be formed without use of a removable core.

The mask of this invention is provided with a flap extending from the rear side of the air inlet forwardly to project against the closure member of the mask, which flap extends around the inner surface of the upper portion of the mask downwardly from the upper side thereof below the eye level and adjacent the nose and mouth levels. The flap, the forward inner surface of the face piece, and the closure plate, hence, form. a duct to carry air from the inlet to the mouth and nose without it passing over the eyes of the wearer. Such a flap can be easily provided for in the molding procedure without the use of the objectionable metallic core.

The mask of the present invention will now be more fully described in conjunction with the accompanying drawing showing a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of the mask;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of part of Fig. 2, with the closure plate removed.

The mask of the invention includes a face piece 1, preferably molded in one piece of a flexible material, such as rubber. The face piece has a side surface 2 of generally oval shape, designed to conform to the face of the wearer and having a rear edge 3, to which suitable fastening means (not shown) may be attached, to provide for holding the face piece against the wearers face and head. The top side 4 of the side surface of the face piece has an air inlet nipple 5 formed therein, and designed for attachment to an appropriate air hose (not shown).

The front surface 6 of the face piece is substantially oval in shape and bead-like in crosssection. Its radially 2,722,930 Patented Nov. 8, 1955 innersurface has a slot 7 formed therein and extending therearound, for reception of 'the. marginal edge of the usual transparent closure. plate '8. The closure plate is thin andof-shape conforming to that of the front surface of the facepiece, and is preferablyof glass or. transparent plastic. It forms .a closure member for the face piece, so that, when the maskis. in use, the face piece and closure plate form. a substantially watertight.v space or. chamber about. the entire faceof a wearer, includingthe eyes, nose, and-mouth.

The mask, as so far described, is more or less conventional,..and-.has an air duct9 communicating between the inlet ofthe-nipple sand the nose and mouthlevel of the mask, .below the eye level. The specific construction of the air duct 9 embodies the novel-feature of'this invention and will now be described.

The air duct 9 is formed by a flap member 10 having its inner and upper surface attached at 11 to the side surface 2 of the face piece. The flap member 10 extends forwardly and downwardly from point 11 and is of such width, or length in cross-section, that its distal edge extends beyond the slot 7 in the front surface of the face piece when the closure plate 8 is removed (Fig. 3). When the closure plate is forced into slot 7, the distal end of the flap member is curled up to form a sealing portion 12, which lies against the inner surface of the closure plate. The longitudinal surface of the flap member extends from the top side 4 of the side surface of the face piece arcuately downwardly in both directions around the oval shape of the front surface 6 of the face piece to below the eye level of the mask, and terminates in ends 13 and 14. The ends 13 and 14 of the flap member consequently form'outlets for air duct 9, and permit air to flow from inlet nipple 5 around the eyes to the nose and mouth of the mask wearer, without flowing over and against the wearers eyes. Consequently, eye irritation by air flow is avoided.

It is evident that flap member 10, together with the inner surface of closure plate 8, and the top side of the face piece, enclose air duct 9, so that relatively little air may pass to the eyes of the wearer. It is further evident that the flap member may be easily formed during the usual molding operation, without the use of the objectionable replaceable core member heretofore employed to form the air duct.

It is obvious that several minor modifications could be made in the apparatus specifically described without departure from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be considered limited by the preferred embodiment, but only by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A mask comprising a face piece having front and top sides, a transparent closure member fastened to the front side of the face piece, the face piece and closure member being constructed and arranged to cover the entire face of the wearer, including the eyes and nose, with said top side above the eyes, and form a watersealed compartment surrounding the face, an air inlet adapted to be connected to a source of air mounted in the top side of the face piece and extending into said watersealed compartment, and a flap member extending between the side of said inlet remote from the front of the mask to the closure member, and further extending downwardly from the inlet on both sides of the face piece below the position in the face piece normally taken by the eyes of the wearer to form with the inlet, the top side of the face piece, and the closure member, a duct for conducting air from the inlet to the nose of the wearer, so that the air need not flow over the eyes of the wearer to reach his nose.

2. A mask, as defined in claim 1, in which the front side of said face piece is substantially oval in shape and 3 has a slot extending around its inner surface, said closure member conforming in shape to the front side of the face piece and having its edge fitting in said slot.

3. A mask, as defined in claim 2, in which said flap is of a width to extend outwardly of said slot when the closure member is out of said slot.

4. A mask adapted to be used for underwater swimming, comprising a face piece of rubber molded in one integral unit, and having a substantially oval front surface with a slot in its radially inner surface extending therearound, a side surface conforming generally to the face of a wearer to fit under his chin, over his forehead, and lie against his cheeks, said side surface having a top side having an air inlet nipple formed therein, and a thin, transparent closure plate conforming in shape to the front surface of the face piece, and having its edge fitted into said slot, said face piece and closure plate, when in use, forming, with the face of the wearer, a water-sealed space around the entire face of the wearer, including the nose and eyes, said face piece further having a flap member attached to its side surface rearwardly of the air inlet nipple, and extending forwardly and downwardly therefrom to a distal edge lying against the inner surface of the closure plate, said flap having its longitudinal surface extending from the top side of the side surface of the face piece arcuately downwardly in both directions in conformation with the shape of the front surface of the face piece to locations substantially below the eyes of the wearer, whereby a duct for air admitted to the air inlet nipple is formed and conveys said air to the nose and mouth of the wearer without it passing over his eyes.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,304,798 Comstock Dec. 15, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS 922,872 France Feb. 10, 1947 

